Collapsible wicket for dams.



G. B. BEBOUT.

GOLLAPSIBLE WIGKET FOR DAMS.

APPLICATION FILED 001. 31. 1913;

1,120,737, I Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

\A/HNEESES:

ATTORNEY.

"HLE Nmms PETERS \COHPHDTD LLTHO w-asumn 71m 1: c

UNITED srarns PATENT ,QFFICE.

GUY i2. BEBOUT, orwnnnnrne, wn'srvinerma.

I coLL rsIBLEwIoKnT remnants. 7

To all whom it may concern: L c o Be it known that I, GUY B. BEBOUT, a citizen of the United States of America, and

resident ofWheeling, county of Ohio, and State of-W'est Virginia, have invented cer-.

tain new and useful; Improvements in C01- lapsible ickets for Dams, of which the following. is a specification. t

This invention relates broadly to improvements in wicket dams, and specifically to a collapsible Wicket for such dams.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel form of movable dam section or wicket, which may be readily moved from a reclining to an elevated po sition, and vlce versa,'1rrespect1ve of the pool level or head of water.

A further objectis to provide a device of the character .mentioned ,which is de, signed to utilize thecurrent of the stream and static head of ,water in moving from either of lts extreme posltlons to the other, and which consequently requires a minimum ,of applied power to effect the movements.

And a still further objectis to provide a wicket which is adapted to collapse under the-force or impact of a boat striking thereagainst and which, consequently, will not seriously damage such boat or be damaged thereby.

With these v and other ob ects in View, the

invention resides in the features of construct1on, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be'fully described, reference being had 'to\the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention, the full lines showing the same occupying lowered position and the dotted lines showing the same in elevated position; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same in elevated position. Referring to said drawings, in which like designating characters distinguish like parts throughout the several vews1 indicates'a shutter which may be formed of timber or other appropriate material and which is free at both ends, neither of said ends being hinged or otherwise connected to any fixed object. Pivotally connected to said shutter at a point intermediate the ends thereof is a frame by means of which it may be firmly supported in elevated position, as shown in Fig. 2 and also as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Said frame comprises, essentially,

' V Specification of LettersPatenti i atnte'd Dec, 15, 1914 Application filed October 31, 1913.1 SeriaINo. 798,431 r a l i v being preferably employed,-and one or more metal anchors generally "designated by numeral '8. props have a parallel disposltion and are pivotally connectedattheir upper ends, as in bearings4,zto the downstream face of; the shutter andare pivotally connected at their lower ends,as in bearings 5, to the foundation 6, so that when said,

shutter occupies its elevated position said props assume parallel inclined bracing posi-w i tions with respect to-said shutter.

Each anchor 3 is formed of two members 3 and 3 placed end to end and'pivotally connected. The lower ends of thelmembers 3" are pivotally connected tothe foundation 6, as in bearings 7 located at suitable points on said foundation and the upper ends ofthe members 3? are pivotally connected to said props.

to engage the connected member 3? on its downstream face and thus limit the extension movement of the members composing 5 said props 2, having. suitable bearings, as 8, located in fixed position with respect'ito. As shown, each member 3 is; provided with an extension 9 having formed thereon a laterally directed arm lOadapted I the anchor, preventing, fora purpose which will hereinafter be made apparent, said members from assumingalined positions. a I

; Mountedin a stationary position onlthe foundation 6 Ma suitable pointjis a guard or sill 11 of timber or other suitable ma terial against which the lower end of, the downstream face of the shutter abuts when the latter occupieseleyated position and by vertical. shutter, but'ialso by the pressure exerted by the impounded water against said shutter. When it is desired to lower the wicket, either :"horizontal. force sufficient Y to overcome the forces maintaining it upright may be applied in a downstream direction to the upper end of the shutter, or a force may be applied in an upstream direction to the lower end of the shutter. In either case said shutter is rotated counter clockwise on the adjacent ends of props 2 to a point where the said forces tending to maintain the shutter upright are overcome,

when, by gravity, the frame collapses, allowing the wicket to assume the lowered position indicated in full lines in Fig. 1. As is obvious, when the said forces tending to maintain the shutter upright have been overcome, as above explained, the weight of the shutter and frame causes the anchor memhers to close one upon the other, said mem bers turning at their pointof pivotal coni been overcome.

To elevate the wicket from its lowered position, an elevating force isapplied to the upstream end of the shutter, causing the props 2 to rotate in their bearings 5 until an elevation has been reached Where the pressure'of the water acting on the shutter acts to swing or rotate the shutter on the bearings 4, whereupon rotation occurs at both the bearings 4 and 5 until the limit of upright movement has been-reached. As is apparent, the force required to elevate the wicket from its lowered position is that force which is requisite to overcome the force of gravity plus a continually diminishing i force equal to the vertical component of the velocity and pressure heads acting upon the shutter. And, as is further apparent, there is in theelevating movement a point where the resultant moment of all forces about the bearings is clockwise, and, consequently,

that from this point to the limit of said movement no applied, or external, force is required to accomplish the elevation of the wicket.

From the foregoing it will be clearly apparent that when the wicket is struck from the upstream side by a boat, log, or other heavy floating object, the wicket will thereby be caused to collapse, and that little or no injury can result from the impact.

It will be understood that by varying the location of the bearings L on'the' shutter the force required to effect the tripping of the shutter and a resultant collapse of the wicket may be regulated to practically any extent desired. Further it will be obvious that the wicket may be so designed that it will be automatically tripped when the upper pool, or impounded water, rises above a predetermined elevation with respect to the lower pool. In other words, the bearings 4 may be so located that when the upper pool reaches a predetermined depth, the shutter will be automatically tripped and the wicket collapsed.

Variations in the lengths of the props, and anchors, or either of them, and changes in the locations of any or all of the various bearings may be resorted to for the purpose of regulating the inclination of the upright shutter and the amount of applied force requisite to effect the various movements of the wicket. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A wicket comprising, in combination with a' foundation, a shutter having both ends free and movable with respect to said foundation, props disposed on the downstream side of said shutter, said props having one end thereof pivotally connected to said shutter intermediate the ends of the latter and their opposite ends pivotally connected at a connected to the foundation; and means for preventing said members from assuming positions in alined relation.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two subscribing witmesses.

' GUY B. BEBOUT.

\Vitnesses:

G. 0. SMITH,

W. F. KEEPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

